Tour de France 2007 - Tour facts and glossary of specific terms
The Tour de France is now the largest annual sporting event in the world, exceeded only by the Olympics and the World Cup which occur every four years.- 4,500 people involved in organising the tour
- 189 riders in 21 teams
- Nearly 2,000 journalists following the event
- Televised to over 150 countries
- The official Tour website is www.letour.fr
- For general information, visit the Wikipedia online encyclopedia entry for the Tour de France
Tour de France trivia
- Fastest prologue (the speed trial before the race starts):
Briton Chris Boardman managed an amazing speed of 55.152kph over a 7.2km stretch, in the 1994 Tour. - Most famous climb:
Alpe d'Huez in the Alps. This 21-hairpin climb is 13.8km at an average gradient of 7.9%, from the Isere Valley to the summit of the 'Col of the Alps'. - Highest total number of 'King of the Mountains' victories:
Seven, by Richard Virenque. - Fastest average speed over the whole Tour:
41.654kph by seven times winner, Lance Armstrong, in 2005. - Oldest and youngest race winners:
Firmin Lambot aged 36 (1922) and Henri Cornet aged 20 (1904). - Most Tours ridden by one rider:
16 by Joop Zoetemelk, between 1970 and 1986 - he finished them all. - Estimated number of spectators along the route:
15 million - Shortest winning margin:
Greg LeMond beat Laurent Fignon in 1989 with just eight seconds to spare
Glossary and jargon buster
Autobus: The group of stragglers bringing up the rear on a climbing stage.
Arrivée: The finish line.
Benjamin du tour: The youngest rider in the race.
Bidon: A water bottle
Caravane Publicitaire: A parade of commercial floats staffed by attractive young people with bleached teeth and wide smiles who throw trinkets and souvenirs to the crowds. The Caravane precedes the riders by about 90 minutes and can take as long as an hour to pass. Promotional fees paid by the sponsors of Caravane vehicles are the primary source of revenue for the Tour organisers.
Chasseurs: Literally, the 'hunters', but usually English commentators use 'chasers' to refer to the riders in pursuit of a breakaway.
Coéquipiers: Teammates. People who usually work together for the good of the team and the team leader
Col: A mountain pass. Used to identify climbs that can be approached from more than one direction and that are frequently used in the middle of a stage
Contre la montre: A 'time-trial'. A race where each rider rides alone and is timed individually.
Coureur: A rider.
La course en tête: To lead the Tour from start to finish. The ultimate domination of the Tour
Classement générale: The 'General Classification' - the overall standings in the race.
Décrocher: To be 'dropped' - left behind by the stronger riders.
Directeur sportif : The head coach/general manager of a cycling team.
Domestique: Literally, a domestic servant. Originally used derisively to refer to a rider who rode in the service of another rather than attempting to win the race for himself. No team today can expect its leader to contend in the Tour without a number of dedicated domestiques.
Échappée: An 'escape' or 'breakaway' - a rider or small group of riders that manages to get away from the peloton.
Étape: A stage of the Tour.
Lanterne Rouge: The rider in last place on the Classment Generale. The lanterne rouge is often rewarded with some of the largest appearance fees at the various post-tour criterium races.
Maillot à pois: A White jersey with red polka dots worn by the leader of the 'King of the Mountains' competition.
Maillot jaune: The yellow jersey - worn by the leader of the Classment Generale.
Maillot vert: The green jersey - worn by the leader of the points competition.
Musette: A shoulder bag containing food and drinks for the riders that is handed to the riders as they pass through the zone de ravitaillement.
Peloton: Originally, a military term meaning a 'platoon'. Used to refer to the largest pack of riders in the race.
Ravitaillement, Zone de: A designated section of the race where riders pick up musettes from the soigneurs. The end of the zone de ravitaillement is a good place for spectators to pick up discarded water bottles and musette bags.
Le sprint: A mad dash for the finish line or some other designated point on the stage. Some of the most exciting moments of the Tour are the mass sprints that conclude many of the flatter stages in the first week of the Tour.
Tête de la course: The head of the race - in the lead.
Vainqueur: The winner
Vélo: A racing bike
Voiture balai: The broom wagon. A van that follow the race picking up the riders who have abandoned or have fallen so far back as to be unable to finish within the time limit for the stage.
